disruption

Federal appeals court: City worker wins prior restraint ruling in bid to help fired colleague

A mayor lost a round in federal appeals court over the firing of an employee, Keri Williams, and an attempt to muzzle the employee’s colleague, Lindsey Whitney, whom he ordered not to speak out for Williams. The appeals panel ruled that, in fact, the mayor committed prior restraint in violating Whitney’s First Amendment rights. -db From the First Amendment Center, May 2, 2012, by David L. Hudson Jr. Full story  

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Federal judge rules Utah’s panhandling law violates First Amendment

Rejecting arguments that the law banning panhandling on streets was a threat to pubic safety on busy streets, a federal district judge threw out the law on constitutional grounds. The judge found the law over broad in that under the law children could be prevented from selling lemonade. -db From the Deseret News, March 15 2012, by Amy Joi O-Donoghue. Full story    

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Federal appeals court rejects lawsuit claiming police violated rights of protestors during 2008 Republican Convention

The 8th U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals found that police had not violated protestors ‘ First And Fourth Amendments rights when they arrested 400 people at the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota. The court cited widespread violence and vandalism in saying police were justified in conducting mass arrests to restore order. -db From City Pages, January 13, 2012, by Aaron Rupar. Full story

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Supreme Court declines to rule on student free speech on Internet

Despite split rulings in two federal appellate courts, the U.S. Supreme Court will not hear arguments on whether school officials can regulate the off-campus speech of students on the Internet. Two of the three cases under consideration concerned parodies directed at principals while the third involved cruel words directed at another student. -db From the Student Press Law Center, January 17, 2012, by Brian Schraum. Full story  

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